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SAHIWAL: Seeking recognition of their institution, students of the Sahiwal Medical College hold a sit-in. — Dawn

SAHIWAL: Hundreds of students of the Sahiwal Medical College (SMC), uncertain about their future, daily take to the street to protest non-recognition of their institution by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

The students say the institution has not been recognised even after five years and they have been left in a blind alley after getting admission.

The PMDC websites places the SMC in the list of non-recognised colleges and says the competent authority in its executive committee meeting held on Dec 4, 2014 asked parents and student not to seek admission in 2015 as the college is not recognised.

The competent authority under Letter No PF12.F-20139(Sahiwal) 260063, of Dec 13, 2013 under PMDC Section 2 (2) of the Medical and Dental Institutions (recognition, eligibility criteria for enhancement in annual admission and accreditation standards) Regulation 2012, had warned and forbidden the SMC from further admissions because of “various complaints of gross deficiencies”. But the college administration continued their admission from 2013 to 2015 and admitted 200 more students.

SMC Principal Dr Iftikhar admits that the institution is yet to be recognised by the PMDC.

A source told this correspondent that the PMDC had asked the Federal Ministry of National Health Regulation and Services, Islamabad for the closure of the SMC and the students were protesting because of uncertain future.

Some students met minister Malik Nadeem Kamran and sought his intervention. The minister assured them that he would urge the Punjab government to fight the SMC case.

“We have been peacefully protesting for the last one week but the college administration and government remain unmoved,” said a student.

The Punjab government has spent around Rs700 million on the construction of the SMC building over 70 acres but it seems least concerned about its recognition from the PMDC.

Commissioner Sohail Shahzad told Dawn that efforts were being made to have the institution recognised by the PMDC to ensure better career prospects for the students.